Diversify types of railway transport

BAC NINH - Transport activities on the Hanoi - Dong Dang railway route through Bac Ninh province are undergoing a clear transformation, with more and more domestic freight trains and international transit trains. Recently, the railway industry has also effectively exploited the cultural tourist train "Hanoi 5 gates" from Hanoi station to Tu Son station (Bac Ninh). Diversifying types of railway transport contributes to significantly reducing pressure on roads, while opening up a direction for sustainable development in regional logistics connectivity.

Promoting the strengths of inter-regional transport

The Hanoi - Dong Dang railway line passing through Bac Ninh province is identified as the "backbone" of inter-regional freight transport connecting the capital Hanoi with a number of key industrial provinces in the North. This railway line is responsible for transporting domestic goods, international goods and passengers, creating a gateway for trade across the border of Lang Son province. Goods from some industrial parks such as Yen Phong, Tien Son, Que Vo, Quang Chau... (Bac Ninh) are gathered at Yen Vien station (Hanoi), Kep station for transport to Lang Son, China.

Quan Ho folk song performance on the cultural cruise ship "Hanoi 5 gates".

The survey shows that when the economy recovers, railway transport activities develop again. According to the functional sector, in the first 10 months of this year, each day, on the Hanoi - Dong Dang route, there were 12 domestic trains and international transit trains, an increase of 4 trips/day compared to last year. Of which, there were 8 transit trains carrying goods and passengers/day to China, mainly agricultural products, electronic components, industrial materials with a volume of about 1.8 thousand tons/train. Stations such as Yen Vien (Hanoi), Tu Son, Kep (Bac Ninh) became major transit points for goods, serving well for import and export enterprises. Thereby, creating opportunities for Vietnamese goods, including those from Bac Ninh province, to access more deeply into the Chinese market and vice versa, contributing to promoting import and export activities.

According to the authorities, in the first 10 months of 2025, there will be 12 domestic and international trains per day on the Hanoi - Dong Dang route, an increase of 4 trips per day compared to the previous year; including 8 freight and passenger trains per day to China.

According to the railway representative, Bac Ninh has a special position in the national railway network. The railway industry is coordinating with the locality to expand railway logistics services to support enterprises in industrial zones to bring goods directly onto trains at some stations in the province to reduce transportation costs and delivery time with partners in the direction of bringing border gates deep into the inland.

With the aim of maximizing the railway's capacity and regional advantages, from the beginning of September 2025, the railway industry has for the first time put into operation the cultural tourist train "Hanoi 5 gates". The Thang Long - Kinh Bac route, starting from Hanoi station to Tu Son station (Bac Ninh), opens a unique journey connecting the thousand-year-old capital with a land rich in cultural traditions. With a travel distance of about 1 hour, visitors have memorable moments and discover the unique culture of the Quan Ho homeland; enjoy the luxurious space of the 2-storey train, rustic wooden interior with a nostalgic look. 5 train cars are designed according to 5 gates, reminding the memory of ancient Thang Long with famous names: O Cho Dua, O Dong Mac, O Quan Chuong, O Cau Den, O Cau Giay. Besides, visitors can also admire the scenery of the streets and villages, enjoy the taste of green rice cakes, lotus tea and listen to the melodious Quan Ho melodies mixed with the rhythmic rolling sound on the railway. Visitors get off at Tu Son station, continue the journey to Do Temple - a special national monument worshiping eight kings of the Ly Dynasty.

The cultural tourist train “Hanoi 5 gates” is a new highlight in the exploitation of tourism economy associated with the preservation of ancient and modern culture. Every day, the train has 2 trips to transport domestic passengers and foreign tourists. After more than two months of opening, this route has 77 trains carrying about 17 thousand passengers.

Ensuring information security and infrastructure

Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW dated February 28, 2023 of the Politburo and transport development plans have affirmed that railways are one of the transport sectors that need priority investment. This is a mode of transport with many advantages, harmonizing between modes of transport (air, waterway, maritime and road), transporting large volumes, fast, low cost, safe, environmentally friendly with the ability to connect widely and cross-border...

Freight train passing through Kep station.

Implementing this policy, in recent years, the railway industry has paid attention to and implemented many solutions to ensure safety for railway routes, including the Hanoi - Dong Dang route. According to the representative of the Vietnam Railway Corporation, the industry is focusing on improving the operational capacity and service quality on the Hanoi - Dong Dang route through Bac Ninh province. For passengers, the goal is to increase trips, improve time and quality of train cars. For goods, the unit develops in the direction of expanding logistics exploitation to meet the growing demand for import and export.

One of the factors that determines the efficiency of railway transport today is the information and signal system, because this is the core activity that ensures the safety of trains. Previously, train operations were mainly manual, heavily dependent on humans, leading to low productivity. In recent years, the railway industry has upgraded the signal system at many key stations such as Yen Vien, Tu Son, Kep, Dong Dang, thereby improving safety and shortening the time between trains. Vietnam Railways Corporation has directed its affiliated units to implement the roadmap to digitize the entire operating system, connecting directly between the dispatch center and stations along the route to detect incidents early, ensuring operational safety. This signal information system helps increase productivity by 15-20%, while ensuring absolute safety for passengers and goods. This is an important foundation for the industry to move towards developing smart railway logistics.

Mr. Bang Van Duc, Director of Bac Giang Railway Signal Information Joint Stock Company, said that during the recent storm, the railway signal information system on the route was seriously damaged. In order to avoid signal information interruption, the Company mobilized maximum forces to promptly repair the system of lines and automatic warning crossings, ensuring communication to command train operations and railway safety. At typical stations in Bac Ninh province such as Tu Son, Lim, Thi Cau, Bac Giang, Kep... staff are on duty 24/24 hours, strictly performing professional activities, helping trains operate smoothly.

Along with the above solutions, the railway industry focuses on infrastructure maintenance, application of ticketing, operation, journey tracking and online technical supervision systems. The terminal stations are being studied to be converted into railway logistics centers connected to roads. It is expected that in the period of 2026-2030, the railway industry will coordinate with Bac Ninh province to form a closed freight transit network, directly connecting with Yen Phong, Que Vo, Tien Son, Dinh Tram and Quang Chau industrial parks. At that time, goods produced at enterprises can be loaded directly onto trains at the nearest stations, reducing pressure on roads and logistics costs.

According to the Ministry of Construction's orientation, by 2030, the railway industry will gradually modernize the Hanoi - Dong Dang route, forming an inter-regional logistics transport axis. In particular, Bac Ninh plays the role of a "strategic transit point" between the capital and the northern border region. It is known that the province has planned a system of warehouses and logistics areas in Tien Son and Yen Phong located close to the national railway line, creating conditions for businesses to connect roads, railways and seaports. From the actual exploitation efficiency, it can be seen that the Hanoi - Dong Dang railway has great potential in connecting regions, reducing the load on roads and supporting modern logistics. Continuing to innovate management thinking, investing in synchronous infrastructure and signals will be the key for railways to truly return to their pivotal role in the national transport system.

Minh Linh

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/da-dang-hoa-cac-loai-hinh-van-tai-duong-sat-postid430056.bbg